,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #affd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #g1       
#bjbe,mr4 ,padilla 7for himself and ,mr4
 ,moran7 introduced the following bill2 
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and 
,transportation  ,a ,,bill  ,to require 
the ,director of the ,office of ,science
 and ,technology ,policy to develop a   
consistent set of policy guidelines for 
,federal research agencies to address   
financial instability of graduate       
researchers and postdoctoral            
researchers1 and for other purposes4    
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,relieving ,economic ,strain to 
,enhance ,american ,resilience and      
,competitiveness in ,higher ,education  
and ,research ,act or the ,,researcher  
,act4  #b4 ,policy guidelines for       
,federal research agencies to address   
financial instability of graduate       
researchers and postdoctoral researchers
  7a7 ,definition ,in this section3 7#a7

 ,institution of higher education ,the  
term institution of higher education has
 the meaning given such term in section 
#aja of the ,higher ,education ,act of  
#aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja74  7#b7      
,graduate researchers ,the term graduate
 researchers means individuals enrolled 
in a degree program leading to an       
advanced degree who receive stipends or 
other compensation to conduct research  
in any discipline at an institution of  
higher education that is a recipient of 
,federal funding4  7#c7 ,postdoctoral   
researchers ,the term postdoctoral      
researchers means individuals in        
training-focused positions who have     
received a doctoral degree or equivalent
 and receive stipends or other          
compensation to conduct research in any 
discipline at an institution of higher  
education that is a recipient of        
,federal funding4  7b7 ,,ostp guidelines
  7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #f   
months after the date of enactment of   
this ,act1 the ,director of the ,office 

of ,science and ,technology ,policy1 in 
consultation with the ,national ,science
 and ,technology ,council1 the          
,committee on ,science1 ,technology1    
,engineering1 and ,math ,education of   
the ,national ,science and ,technology  
,council1 the ,president's ,council of  
,advisors on ,science and ,technology1  
institutions of higher education1       
graduate and postdoctoral organizations1
 and other relevant stakeholders1 shall 
develop a consistent set of policy      
guidelines for ,federal research        
agencies to address financial           
instability of graduate researchers and 
postdoctoral researchers4  7#b7         
,requirements ,in developing the policy 
guidelines under paragraph 7#a71 the    
,director of the ,office of ,science and
 ,technology ,policy shall include      
guidelines that address1 to the extent  
practicable1 the following3 7,a7        
,opportunities to increase stipends for 
graduate researchers and postdoctoral   
researchers1 including indexing based on

 location4  7,b7 ,an additional         
consideration for increasing stipends   
for postdoctoral researchers conducting 
research in rural or underserved areas1 
or in ,states eligible to receive       
funding from the ,established ,program  
to ,stimulate ,competitive ,research    
under section #aac of the ,national     
,science ,foundation ,authorization ,act
 of #aihh 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahfb;g71 to   
support the recruitment and retention of
 researchers in such regions4  7,c7     
,opportunities to increase access to    
quality1 affordable medical1 dental1 and
 vision care4  7,d7 ,opportunities to   
increase access to affordable housing   
and transportation4  7,e7 ,opportunities
 to reduce food insecurity4  7,f7       
,opportunities to address costs of      
caring for family members1 including    
child care4  7#c7 ,application  7,a7 ,in
 general ,the ,director of the ,office  
of ,science and ,technology ,policy     
shall encourage and monitor efforts of  
,federal research agencies to develop   

and implement policies based on the     
policy guidelines under paragraph 7#a74 
7,b7 ,federal research agency           
implementation ,not later than #f months
 after receiving the policy guidelines  
under paragraph 7#a71 the head of each  
,federal research agency shall-- 7i7    
develop and implement policies with     
respect to financial instability of     
graduate researchers and postdoctoral   
researchers that are consistent with    
such policy guidelines2 and  7ii7       
broadly disseminate such policies to    
current and potential recipients of     
research and development awards made by 
such agency4  7#d7 ,updates ,the        
,director of the ,office of ,science and
 ,technology ,policy shall update the   
policy guidelines under paragraph 7#a7  
as the ,director determines necessary4  
7#e7 ,report ,not later than #a year    
after the date after the guidelines are 
submitted and every #e years thereafter1
 the ,director of the ,office of        
,science and ,technology ,policy shall  

submit to the ,committee on ,commerce1  
,science1 and ,transportation and the   
,committee on ,health1 ,education1      
,labor1 and ,pensions of the ,senate and
 the ,committee on ,science1 ,space1 and
 ,technology1 the ,committee on         
,education and ,workforce1 and          
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce of  
the ,house of ,representatives1 a report
 containing information relating to the 
following3 7,a7 ,the policy guidelines  
under paragraph 7#a74  7,b7 ,progress on
 the implementation of such guidelines  
by ,federal research agencies4  7c7     
,data collection ,the ,research and     
,development1 ,competition1 and         
,innovation ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahija  
et seq47 is amended-- 7#a7 in section   
#ajcad7;b7-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#b7--   
7i7 in subparagraph 7,d71 by striking   
and after the semicolon2  7ii7 by       
redesignating subparagraph 7,e7 as      
subparagraph 7,f72 and  7iii7 by        
inserting after subparagraph 7,d7 the   
following new subparagraph3  7,e7       

graduate researcher and postdoctoral    
researcher stipend amounts and financial
 instability 7disaggregated1 to the     
extent practicable1 by demographics72   
and  2 and  7,b7 by adding at the end   
the following new paragraph3  7#e7      
,definitions ,in this subsection3 7,a7  
,institution of higher education ,the   
term institution of higher education has
 the meaning given such term in section 
#aja of the ,higher ,education ,act of  
#aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja74  7,b7      
,graduate researchers ,the term graduate
 researchers means individuals enrolled 
in a degree program leading to an       
advanced degree who receive stipends or 
other compensation to conduct research  
in any discipline at an institution of  
higher education that is a recipient of 
,federal funding4  7,c7 ,postdoctoral   
researchers ,the term postdoctoral      
researchers means individuals in        
training-focused positions who have     
received a doctoral degree or equivalent
 and receive stipends or other          

compensation to conduct research in any 
discipline at an institution of higher  
education that is a recipient of        
,federal funding4  2 and  7#b7 in       
paragraph 7#a7 of section #ajejb7;a71 by
 inserting graduate and postdoctoral    
research stipend amounts 7disaggregated1
 to the extent practicable1 by          
demographics71 before and awarded       
budget4  7d7 ,data on financial         
instability of graduate researchers and 
postdoctoral researchers ,the ,director 
of the ,national ,science ,foundation   
shall make awards1 on a competitive     
basis1 to institutions of higher        
education or nonprofit organizations 7or
 consortia of such institutions or      
organizations7 to collect and analyze   
data on financial instability of        
graduate researchers and postdoctoral   
researchers 7disaggregated1 to the      
extent practicable1 by demographics74   
7e7 ,national ,academies assessment     
7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #b     
years after the date of enactment of    

this ,act1 the ,director of the         
,national ,science ,foundation shall    
enter into an agreement with the        
,national ,academies of ,sciences1      
,engineering1 and ,medicine to undertake
 a study and issue a report on the      
status of financial instability of      
graduate researchers and postdoctoral   
researchers4 ,to the extent feasible1   
the study shall include an assessment   
7disaggregated1 to the extent           
practicable1 by demographics7 at a      
minimum of the immediately preceding #e 
years of the following3 7,a7 ,stipends  
relative to average local medical1      
dental1 and vision expenses4  7,b7      
,stipends relative to average local     
housing and transportation costs4  7,c7 
,stipends relative to average local food
 costs4  7,d7 ,stipends relative to     
average local costs of caring for family
 members1 including child care costs4   
7#b7 ,report ,not later than #b years   
after the date on which the agreement   
between the ,director of the ,national  

,science ,foundation and the ,national  
,academies of ,sciences1 ,engineering1  
and ,medicine is entered into pursuant  
to paragraph 7#a71 the ,national        
,academies of ,sciences1 ,engineering1  
and ,medicine shall submit to the       
,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and  
,transportation and the ,committee on   
,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and        
,pensions of the ,senate and the        
,committee on ,science1 ,space1 and     
,technology1 the ,committee on          
,education and ,workforce1 and the      
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce of  
the ,house of ,representatives a report 
containing the results of the assessment
 under such paragraph and               
recommendations relating thereto        
regarding how ,federal agencies1        
,congress1 institutions of higher       
education1 and other relevant entities  
may address financial instability of    
graduate researchers and postdoctoral   
researchers4  7f7 ,,gao study ,not later
 than #c years after the date of        

enactment of this ,act1 the ,comptroller
 ,general of the ,united ,states shall  
submit to the ,committee on ,commerce1  
,science1 and ,transportation and the   
,committee on ,health1 ,education1      
,labor1 and ,pensions of the ,senate and
 the ,committee on ,science1 ,space1 and
 ,technology1 the ,committee on         
,education and ,workforce1 and the      
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce of  
the ,house of ,representatives a report 
that-- 7#a7 assesses the degree to which
 ,federal research agencies have        
implemented the policy guidelines under 
subsection 7b7 and the effectiveness of 
such implementation2  7#b7 includes     
recommendations on potential changes to 
practices and policies to improve such  
guidelines and such implementation2 and 
7#c7 includes recommendations on        
additional data collection and research 
needed to monitor progress on reducing  
financial instability of graduate       
researchers and postdoctoral            
researchers4